An end user response time is an important consideration for current end users of a server application and is generally related to the response time of the server itself. An end user response time may be classified as a time interval between when an end user at a terminal enters a request for a response from a server and the instant in which the response is received at the end user terminal. In contrast to server response time, an end user response time incorporates the network time and client processing times such as client rendering or client processing time, thus reflecting the response time as perceived by the end user. A response time for an end user can be delayed under a high load where a high volume of users are logged on to a given server, particularly in instances when the number of users approaches the number of users the server can handle. For a server that is overburden by too many users, the server responds to users equally slow due to all the requests going to the same queue.
A slow server response time can significantly slow down end user response time, which is problematic and can create a number of implications for end users. Users that maintain higher expectations for the run time of a server application may demand a faster end user response time to accomplish their performance expectations. Such users may require a faster performance based on such factors as necessity to run certain applications, necessity for work, age, or other qualifications.
Conversely, an equally slow server response time for all users may not result in an equal response time for all end users. Users connected to the same server may have different end user response times based on, for example, their connection to a network (such as using Ethernet or wireless) or on the specific computing device and interface being used at the user end terminal. For example, users using mobile clients will have a significantly longer wait time than a user using a desktop computer, even though the server response time is the same for both units.
Increased user response times are a higher source of frustration particularly for users that maintain a higher expected performance of the server application. Conversely, users that do not have a high expectation of the performance of the server application are likely unaffected by an increasingly delayed server response time. These users may not perceive a delay in the server response, and if their systems do not require a fast response time, it may not be necessary to have the same server response time for these users as needed for high expectancy users. Low expectancy users may also have a longer response time without actually perceiving a longer response time is occurring; this may occur, for example, in instances where internet service providers (“ISPs”) have a service level agreement with measurable thresholds that are not met for all the users. Therefore, it may be advantageous to separate high expectancy users from moderate and low expected performance users, to reduce the end user response times of the high expectancy users.
Thus there remains a need in the art, for a system and method which allows for the customizability and adjustment of user response times based on user needs and expectations. There also remains a need in the art, for system and method which allows for the adjustment of user response times independent of server response times.